Show 11 0 so I 1 L entry into league still moot question r r r r r r I 1 rr I 1 r F T home of the league of nations at geneva by WILLAM C UTLEY HE league of nations was afif T teen years old on january 10 during those years tt it has ac re complis hed many things and failed in others it has at rt least been marts most concrete and tangible at tempt to recognize international broth ergood the geographical shrinkage of the world as science has conquered time and space and the futility of war the two outstanding accomplish ments of the league in 1934 in the ion of most authorities on internal affairs justified its existence it maintained order durin during 0 the plebiscite period and relieved ed the elec trie tension that held europe because it bought b ought about a peaceable settlement between france and germany it prevented war b veen yugoslavia and hungary over the assassination of king alexander by getting these na cons td accept its settlement of their differences its outstanding dud was its failure to do anything about the chaco war an american in fact the no 1 of his lits day president woodrow wilson originated the idea of a league of na eions in 1918 the league product of human intelligence and experience over many years of strife and valueless bloodshed was the thinkers answer to the question what shall we do to prevent the occurrence of another hor war in the future the league idea wag was crystallized crystall zed into an actual fact in 1919 and the most conspicuous nation in ane discussions from which it was born was the united states conspicuous as the saying goes by its absence ever since then the topic shall the united states join the league of na eions has been the subject of spirited debate in the nation nations s capital in bust cess ness conferences and in front porch leasure hours when mr air and mrs american voter dIscus discussed qed with their neighbors the activities of the persons they had sent to washington Wasi ington to look after their interests at various times within the last fit teen years the thing has come to a head bead points pro and con have been driven with such a persistence and enthusiasm that it seemed something would have to be done about it the latest of these boiling points occurred when george H tinkham the representative from massachusetts declared that the cn un M d states was somewhat sur being dragged into the league of nations against its will Tink tinkham liam accused miss frances perkins the secretary of labor of contemptible trickery and gross fraud in connection with the country a becoming a member of the international labor organization this Is only a wedge to work the united states into the league of nations said representative Tin tinkham kharn and Is merely a forerunner to the united states act of joining the world court world court up again twelve years of bickering have at tended the resolution for immediate adherence of america to the world court but recently it was favorably woodrow wilson Q reported by the senate committee on foreign relations senator joseph T robinson of arkansas the majority leader has announced that he will bring the matter up on the floor of the senate at the earliest opportunity most of his opposition will come from senator james hamilton lewis who has stood out as the chief opponent of the league idea tor for years this nations membership in the world court Is advocated advocat pd through the protocols proposed by ellhu root for mer secretary of state and leading european jurors j brors the world court like the league of nations is an outgrowth of american ideas at the first hague conference in 1899 the american delegation pro posed plans for a permanent petan Anent court of international justice out of this grew the permanent court of lion more popularly known as the hague court of arbitration the hague Is not a that meets regularly only when a controversy is submitted by some nation or nations do the arbitrators selected from mem ber her nations gather to ober the court has no power to impose its decisions on the parties concerned but can mere ly advise seeking to conciliate the par ties independent of league this court functions altogether in dependently of the league although it Is a part of the league with provisions made for it in article 14 of the league s covenant the judges are named not by the league but by the national groups which belonged to the hague tribunal according to the root formula the election cf the judges however is by a majority vote of the assembly and the council of the league of nations each body meeting separately meeting each year in june the world court cons ders cases only litif the consent of both parties or nations concerned requiring its attention are t george H Tin tinkham kharn matters such as interpretations of treaties matters of ir international law and the existence of conditions that would mean a breace of international obligations members pay nay submit all of their d shutes to the court or they may recognize the court but decline to submit their controversies to its judgment the united states although it was a member of the hague tribunal and although the world court was suggest ed by an american has never become a member of the world court in jan uary nary 1926 the senate voted to become a member of the world court if the member nations would accept the fol lowing provisions a aj adherence to the court should not involve any legal relation on the part of the united states to the league of rations nations b the united states would pay a fair share of the expenses cf rf the court as fixed by congress c e the un ted states must have an equal voice with the other nations in the selection of judges d the united states must be privileged to withdraw from the court at any time and the statute of the court should not be amended with out our consent e all opinions of the court must be announced publicly and only after due notice has been given all member states and interested parties in september 1926 the fifth of these reservations was as as might have hane been expected rejected by tl e re presenta fives tives of the member rations pres dent Coo coolidge lilge then definitely said that the world court issue was dead root plan acceptable the united states toady wanted to join the court however and in WS 1998 membership in the court was a plank in the platforms of both the democratic and republican parties in the fol lowing year elihu ellhu ro t was sent to europe to confer with a comm atee of jurists which was revising the original statute of the world ourt court mr hoot root devised a plan for the entry of the united states which was acceptable to all the member notions nations the root formula mula as it has been called ever since was the subject of praise from the then pres dent hoover who in eluded it in his first annual message to congress in 1929 urging that the united states become a member the root formula which is still the article by which the proponents of the world court hope to secure the entry of the united states was of course devised to get around the objectionable fifth section of tle original provis ons for american members ip these are the ca c let lef points of tbt root formula which Is still being cited as desirable when there are discussions of this country a entry a if the united states Is or ts is about to become in evolved in a dispute with another na tion the mattw mattax cannot be brought be fore the world court without our con sent even for the pur purpose poe of securing from the court an advisory opinion b the secretary general of the league of catl nations ons eh blau all I 1 I 1 inform the united states of any proposal for ob an advisory opinion of the court v which aich is pending before the coun ell or assembly of the league with a view to exchanging views between the council or the assembly and the united states as to whether an interest of the united states Is 1 involved c in the event that the court Is asked for an advisory opinion and the united states objects to any such opinion be ing given by the court courts america s objection should have attributed to it the same force that would obtain to a vote against asking for the opinion given by a member of the council or assembly if the mal it ity of the court should insist on the opinion being div en however the ed states can withdraw from the world court at once without any imputation of liness or unwillingness to operate cooperate co generally for peace or goodwill so apt was the root formula co considered that it Is now a part of the statute of the court the opponents of american america n member ship in the league who have numbered among their constituents such names as henry cabot lodge and william 11 borah contend of course that membership in the world court Is but a stepping stone to the entrance of this country into the league of nations and the principal objection to league membership has been the poss bality of the united states being dragged into somebody else alses s war in holding up a decision of the league the united states since its birth has steadfastly maintained a policy of staying out of foreign controversies especially european controversies could avoid going to war As a matter of fact if the united states were a member of the league it would still not have ti 0 enter a war for the maintenance of a principle un less it wanted to the united states if it were a member would have a permanent seat on the league council A unanimous vote Is required for the council to begin a war against an of fender if the united states did not wish to enter such a war she could avoid it simply by insen cling her rep to vote against it the catch as the opponents see it Is the fact that the country might be morally obligated if a member to vote in fa vor of military action international prestige might suffer if it her represent active should disagree with the others in certain situations another criticism which Is entirely unfounded Is that some other country might have as many as six votes to our one in the league this Is not factually so as far as d action Is concerned it Is possible that another power might have more representatives in the assembly but it Is the council that really acts for the league the assembly Is merely an advisory body which debates moot questions the A t i senator W E borah united states would have a power in the council that would be equal to that of any nation which was a per manent member two things which have hampered the work of the league since its origin have been the absence of two of the greatest powers namely the united states and russia japan it Is true lias has left the league but her reasons were entirely discreditable to herself and creditable to the league russia of course was not admit admitted fed for many years because of the doubtful status of the russian government but with the recent au misson on of the soviet union to membership half of the gap has been filled up 6 western newspaper union |